Wang and Parker do a great job of providing the kind of explicit "how-to" procedures that Office users want most. They provide substantial coverage on Word, the Office component that gets the most use, but also give ample space to Excel, PowerPoint, and Office's Internet tools. Access receives only user-level attention, so people who want to build Access applications will want to look for a more specialized book.
The authors deserve kudos for highlighting the fact that certain commands and conventions--such as the procedures for copying, adjusting fonts, and printing--apply across all the Office applications. As a result, readers gain confidence in their ability to use Office 97 as a unit, rather than merely as individual programs.
This book would be better if the authors had done more to explain how to weed out the less important Office components, such as the annoying Office Assistant and the little-used Binder. But as it is, Microsoft Office 97 for Windows for Dummies provides a solid introduction to Microsoft's tools for getting things done in the workplace. --David Wall
]]>Parker and Berry first discuss essential design concepts such as relevance, proportion, consistency, contrast, restraint, and attention to detail. Next the authors teach you about basic tools for organizing layouts: grids, columns, gutters, headlines, kickers, captions, bullet lists, and pull quotes, to name a few. They delve into the intricacies of typography and font families, highlighting such concepts as type size, alignment, and leading and kerning. Next you learn about the use of white space and about rulers and accents such as borders, boxes, drop shadows, and bleeds. The authors discuss illustrations, clip art, backgrounds, charts, diagrams, tables, and maps and advise you on positioning those elements on a page. There's also a lot of information on selecting, resizing, and placing photographs. A full-color chapter illustrates how to choose color and use spot color, full color, and duotones.
At this point the authors move from theory to hands-on projects--you apply the design concepts that they have already put forth. You learn about the appropriate design, graphic, and text elements for newsletters, ads, catalogs, and other business correspondence. Each chapter in this section offers plenty of illustrations and ends with a checklist of reminders that you can refer to as you design.
Especially useful are chapter 12, which features common design mistakes along with illustrations and explanations of what's wrong, and chapter 13, which highlights redesigns of poorly produced publications. The latter is a before-and-after glimpse of designs of almost all types of publications, from newsletter to survey. These two chapters drive home succinctly and with great visual impact every point of design that the authors have previously discussed. Finally, the appendix offers extra tips on printing in color, and choosing image databases, paper, and service bureaus.
The authors don't refer to the Windows or Macintosh operating systems or to any software programs. The understanding is that you will learn how to use your software tools elsewhere and consult the book for elements of design. That's a reasonable goal, as the authors maintain a clear, concise tone and offer many tips that are tangential but still relevant to the subject matter. For example, the chapter on type has a short sidebar on the difference between kerning and tracking and a longer sidebar on font substitution. All in all, this book functions well as both a how-to manual for beginning designers and as a design reference for more advanced designers. --Kathleen Caster
]]>Parker and Berry first discuss essential design concepts such as relevance, proportion, consistency, contrast, restraint, and attention to detail. Next the authors teach you about basic tools for organizing layouts: grids, columns, gutters, headlines, kickers, captions, bullet lists, and pull quotes, to name a few. They delve into the intricacies of typography and font families, highlighting such concepts as type size, alignment, and leading and kerning. Next you learn about the use of white space and about rulers and accents such as borders, boxes, drop shadows, and bleeds. The authors discuss illustrations, clip art, backgrounds, charts, diagrams, tables, and maps and advise you on positioning those elements on a page. There's also a lot of information on selecting, resizing, and placing photographs. A full-color chapter illustrates how to choose color and use spot color, full color, and duotones.
At this point the authors move from theory to hands-on projects--you apply the design concepts that they have already put forth. You learn about the appropriate design, graphic, and text elements for newsletters, ads, catalogs, and other business correspondence. Each chapter in this section offers plenty of illustrations and ends with a checklist of reminders that you can refer to as you design.
Especially useful are chapter 12, which features common design mistakes along with illustrations and explanations of what's wrong, and chapter 13, which highlights redesigns of poorly produced publications. The latter is a before-and-after glimpse of designs of almost all types of publications, from newsletter to survey. These two chapters drive home succinctly and with great visual impact every point of design that the authors have previously discussed. Finally, the appendix offers extra tips on printing in color, and choosing image databases, paper, and service bureaus.
The authors don't refer to the Windows or Macintosh operating systems or to any software programs. The understanding is that you will learn how to use your software tools elsewhere and consult the book for elements of design. That's a reasonable goal, as the authors maintain a clear, concise tone and offer many tips that are tangential but still relevant to the subject matter. For example, the chapter on type has a short sidebar on the difference between kerning and tracking and a longer sidebar on font substitution. All in all, this book functions well as both a how-to manual for beginning designers and as a design reference for more advanced designers. --Kathleen Caster
]]>Plus, Desktop Publishing & Design For Dummies features a special insert that takes you step by step through the process of creating successful newsletters.
]]>Plus, Harrel and Parker reveal their own secrets for analyzing audiences, using color effectively, and projecting professionalism. Freelance Graphics 96 For Windows 95 For Dummies also includes a handy "cheat sheet" listing all the keyboard shortcuts you're likely to use while working with Freelance Graphics -- it's a real time-saver.
]]>Each part of the software package--Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and the rest--gets its own section with tips, tricks, warnings, and the basic info you'll need to work with files, make your documents beautiful, and save yourself a few hours on hold with tech support. The visual style lends itself well to crossing over between page and screen without too much translation, and the writing is sharp, funny, and to the point.
After the advanced chapters, the book closes with the traditional "Part of Tens"--10 keystrokes you'll be using so much they deserve special attention, plus 10 tips to help you achieve Office wizardry. Whether you're an old hand with Office or are new to the game, Microsoft Office 2000 for Dummies will give you the information you need to get your work done. --Rob Lightner
]]>